Panel orders Abba Kyari to appear March 30 over alleged unlawful arrest

An independent investigation panel has fixed March 30 for the suspended DCP Abba Kyari to appear in a petition of alleged unlawful arrest filed by three persons.

The Panel is investigating the allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police.

The petitioners, Ambrose Mairungu, and Blessing Dung, in a petition marked 2020/IIP-SARS/ABJ/205 alleged that Yakubu Danjuma, Ibrahim Daniel and Choji, Dung’s husband were unlawfully arrest, detained, tortured and received inhuman treatment by Kyari.

The panel on March 11 ordered the Chairman, National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa to produce Kyari on March 22, to defend himself.

However, in response to that order, an administrative letter was written to the chairman of the panel by Mr Abdullahi Haruna (SAN), counsel to Kyari.

He is requesting that all petitions where Kyari’s name was mentioned be made available to enable him study it and respond appropriately.

He therefore, prayed the panel to afford him with the proceedings on such cases and prayed for a grace of two months.

Mr Garba Tetengi (SAN), who represented the chairman, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima, said the panel does not have the luxury of time but can grant him a week.

He then adjourned the hearing and cross-examination of PW1 and 2 until March 30.

In the petition, Dung, wife to the third victim told the panel that on the December 17, 2019, her husband received a phone call from his friend, Danjuma for a meeting outside the house.

“I followed my husband outside and I sighted two tinted-glass vehicles with IRT written on them. I saw armed police officers who came out from the vehicles, cuffed my husband, shot in the air and drove off with him,” she said.

She also prayed the panel to award N10 million in compensation. (Daily Trust)